Jane Embury looks at the threat of explosive attack Architecture and urban planning have evolved over the centuries as countries and communities have responded to potential threat. The earliest communities sought shelter and protection in caves. From ancient Egypt onwards, architecture has not only been about comfort and convenience but defensive capability. Nowadays, we might […]
Articles
Ecommerce and fire safety
Jane Embury looks at one consequence of rising online sales The past eighteen months has reshaped how we buy things. For example, the UK retail giant John Lewis said recently that there had been a “decade of changes in shopping habits in one year.” John Lewis has managed to maintain sales volumes, with the retailer […]
Terrorism and Covid-19
Jane Embury looks at an unlikely legacy of the pandemic We all think we know how Covid-19 has shaped the health of nations around the world. For most of us, while the pandemic has changed our lives, we simply want a return to old normalities. But Covid-19 is leaving behind some unwelcome legacies including, perhaps, […]
Building Safety Bill published
Jane Embury looks at proposed new government legislation The UK government published the long-awaited Building Safety Bill this week. It’s expected that its passage through parliament will take at least nine months. The government says that the Bill’s provisions for buildings over 18 metres will all come into force in about 18 months from now. […]
Election turnaround and planning backlash?
A by-election result spells potential trouble for the UK government’s plans for planning reform, says Jane Embury It was interesting that the Liberal Democrats won the recent Chesham and Amersham by-election. They took the seat from the Conservatives. They won the Buckinghamshire constituency which has been a Tory stronghold since its creation in 1974. Their victory […]